Ex-owners of Thai Silk fined £180,000 for hiring illegal workers

Details of the fine levied on Thai Silk Ltd were included in a quarterly report published by the Home Office.

Businesses can be fined up to £20,000 per person for employing people not entitled to work in the UK.

According to the Home Office, 'illegal workers' include students with expired visas, or students working more hours than they’re allowed to, and people who work on a visitor’s visa.

The Home Office only publishes the names of businesses which have been fined if they have not paid them or are not making regular payments towards them 28 days after they have exhausted all their objection and appeal rights.

We contacted the Thai Silk Southwark restaurant for comment on the penalty but were told that the business changed hands last month and is now run by Soho Palace Ltd which is not associated with the former owners.